Curious About Acceptance Practices!

<p>It appears to me that Bryn Mawr goes out of its way to accept women of color and international students in order to show its so-called diversity in its student body. How can Bryn Mawr call itself ‘diverse’ when it seems to exclude caucasian women. One really has to wonder when the Class of 2014 is comprised of 33% women of color and 25.6% international students. I would like to be a ‘fly on the wall’ in the room where applications are reviewed. I welcome comments.</p>

<p>If I did my math correctly, that means that about 45% of the incoming class are white Americans - that’s still by far the largest ethnic group. Would you be more comfortable if 75% of the campus were white Americans?</p>

<p>It was a decision of President McAuliffe to raise our international enrollment. Ever since her inauguration two years ago, she has made an effort to make Bryn Mawr a more global campus - both in bringing the world to us and making us more visible to the wider world. Enrolling more international students is part of that effort. There is some speculation that the high international enrollment might have other tangible benefits as well. If the college decided to admit more international students w/o financial aid, the internationals are paying a fair bit of tuition. If the college decided to “lure” more international students with financial aid, it will attract more international applicants in the next admission cycle, which will increase our selectivity. (Very few colleges offer need-based financial aid to foreigners, and those who do are flooded with applications for those precious funds.)</p>

<p>Hello: Ever hear of Europe? Some international students are white. And 25% of students’ ethnicities are listed as “unknown.” Usually, it’s white kids who choose not to identify themselves. </p>

<p>According to a CC competing site, Bryn Mawr’s population looks like this: African American 6%, Hispanic 3%, Asian American 12%, White 47%, International 7%, and “Unknown” 25%. Some of the internationals and most of the “unknowns” are going to be white. The identifiable “racial minorities” total only 21%. </p>

<p>You can (rest assured? feel safe? be comforted?) to know that at least two-thirds of Bryn Mawr students are white, which is about par for the course at top LACs. Are you happy now?</p>

<p>Bryn Mawr goes out of its way to accept women who will thrive in a challenging & diverse environment. The original poster’s numbers are wrong as is their logic. Some people actually seek to be part of a diverse community of students from all parts of the country & different parts of the world. </p>

<p>I know I should care about the statistics and tell you where to find the actual hard numbers, but I’m not going to, because our visits to Bryn Mawr showed us that people are more than numbers, more than how people fit into their ethnic slots. Hearing from many student, staff & alumn during an open house left my family awed, impressed, moved and ultimately very excited.</p>

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The OP’s numbers agree with numbers that the college are released. See here, for example: [Bryn</a> Mawr Welcomes Unprecedented Number of International Students in Class of 2014 | Bryn Mawr Now](<a href=“http://news.brynmawr.edu/?p=6147]Bryn”>http://news.brynmawr.edu/?p=6147)</p>

<p>You have a good point that people are more than numbers. But maybe you could be less pretentious about it next time?</p>